TRILLO METALS CANTERBURY BULLS DOUBLE-HEADER WRAPS UP NGĀ PUNA WAI FESTIVAL OF RUGBY LEAGUE
One of the biggest weeks in Canterbury Rugby League’s modern history – and seven straight days of Canterbury Bulls teams in action at Ngā Puna Wai – concludes on Saturday with a massive provincial double-header.
The Trillo Metals Men’s Canterbury Bulls host Otago Whalers in a crunch NZRL National Men’s Premiership southern section fixture (12pm), while the Trillo Metals Women’s Canterbury Bulls take on heavyweights Counties Manukau Stingrays in an equally vital NZRL National Women’s Premiership clash (2pm).
Both Trillo Metals Bulls outfits have been in tremendous form…but both need to chalk up a third consecutive W this weekend to stay on course for the final in their respective competitions.
Trillo Metals Men’s Canterbury Bulls coach Walt Wilson paid tribute to the festival of rugby league, highlighted by the five-day NZRL National Youth Tournament, that has unfolded thus far at Ngā Puna Wai.
“It’s a real credit to the organisers to have it happen, as well as the teams with all of the volunteers that have helped to support something as good as this,” Wilson says.
“To see it come off as it did is great for all of those people involved – and we just want to do our job on Saturday, finish it off in a nice way.
“The women’s team are going great at the moment, they’re led well by very capable and smart young lady in Charntay Poko, and her brother, Rhys, is our 18th man this week.”
Rhys Poko will make his debut if required against the Whalers, while Caleb Scott, Jamieson Ilalio and Joel Leka – who will line up alongside dad Kyle and uncle Taniela Leka – have been confirmed for Canterbury debuts.
Wilson says the performances of the Canterbury Bulls youth teams – with the 18s Boys producing a historic title victory, and the 16s Boys and 18s Girls both finishing third in excellent campaigns – have provided an extra spur for his senior side.
“To see [coach] Matt [Molioo] and his 18s do what they did is just a great advertisement for rugby league in the South Island,” Wilson beams.
“[Seeing some comments] saying that the South Island’s not strong enough to compete against North Island teams is just added motivation for us to prove a point ourselves. And without us even having to lift a finger, the 18s and Sommer Te Kahu’s 16s – who were unlucky not to be in the final – have proved a point that there’s plenty of talent to compete.”
The Trillo Metals Men’s Canterbury Bulls have made a blistering two-from-two start as they aim to qualify for the national final from the southern section, overwhelming Aoraki Eels 58-12 and Southland Rams 44-4.
A solid core of experience has underpinned the dominant performances, while a handful of newcomers have made an immediate impact.
Linwood winger Alofa Faaiva has scored four tries across the two games, while Keas clubmate, fullback Thomas Ruwhiu, grabbed a double against the Rams.
“They’ve been great. Tommy’s a very skilful young man, and Alofa, the youngest in our side, has been exceptional,” Wilson praises.
“Alofa won’t be playing this weekend, he was asked to go and trial with the South Sydney Jersey Flegg side – he’ll be playing probably not long after we finish on Saturday so we’ve got a few people to play for this weekend.”
With the Whalers also racking up a handsome win over the Eels (62-12) and edging out Wellington Orcas (38-32), any misstep will prove fatal for the Trillo Metals Men’s Canterbury Bulls in their pursuit of a spot in the national final against the top northern team.
The Trillo Metals Men’s Canterbury Bulls face the Orcas in Wellington in their final round-robin game, but Otago’s 2023 NZRL National Men’s Premiership win over the red-and-blacks in Dunedin provides a lingering reminder of the danger the visitors present this week – and ensures the home side won’t be looking any further ahead than this Saturday.
Wilson is unconcerned about past seasons’ results, however.
“We don’t need to be too complicated in the way we play,” the coach says.
“We’ve got some real strengths and we tend to find our way to those strengths quite easily within the group. What we need to be this weekend is to just be really connected on defence and the rest of it, if we show some patience, will roll out.
“Look, there’s a lot at stake in this – for us it’s like two knockout finals that we’ve got in front of us and we are just going concentrate on the first one against Otago.
“There’s a lot of water gone under the bridge since [last time Canterbury lost to Otago], we’re a completely different side, we’ve got completely different motivations for why we want to complete this game on a positive note.”
Meanwhile, the Trillo Metals Women’s Canterbury Bulls can take a massive step towards upsetting the long-standing dominance of the NZRL National Women’s Premiership by Auckland teams by rolling the Stingrays this weekend.
After a gutsy 20-16 loss to defending champs Akarana Falcons in Pukekohe in the opening round, they have powered to rousing wins over Auckland Vulcans (34-16) and Waikato (44-6) at Ngā Puna Wai over the past fortnight.
“It’s been it’s been a long coming for this team … this year it just feels like something special,” Trillo Metals Women’s Canterbury Bulls coach Joseph Purcell-Mika says.
“A good culture, we’ve got a few girls that have come back and added value and leadership into our group, and we’re excited for this week.
“I think for them it’s about being sisters and just enjoying the environment and each other’s company on and off the field.”
TRILLO METALS WOMEN’S CANTERBURY BULLS CARVE OUT EMPHATIC WIN OVER WAIKATO
The experience and class of captain Charntay Poko, fellow playmaker Cassie Siataga, international forwards Bunty Kuruwaka-Crowe and Sui Pauaraisa, and gifted game-breaker Kyla Lynch-Brown has been central to the Trillo Metals Women’s Canterbury Bulls’ campaign so far – and created an ideal environment for the team’s new blood to flourish.
Diminutive winger/fullback Lucy Mahuika and hard-running forward Stacey Niao have been among the rookie standouts.
“Lucy and Stacey, in their first year in league, they’ve just enjoyed the whole environment with Canterbury – the campaign, the culture,” Purcell-Mika enthuses.
“Lucy, she’s just little, but man, she’s got a big heart and no matter what position we put her in she’ll give us 110 percent.”
The Stingrays have won all three of their games against Waikato, Wellington Orcas (who the Bulls face in the final round) and the Vulcans by 22-plus margins.
This Saturday’s showdown is an absolute must-win for the Trillo Metals Women’s Canterbury Bulls, but Purcell-Mika knows from what he’s seen in matches, at training and behind the scenes over the past month that his team is capable of pulling off the result they desire.
”We’ve got a thing this year and this week with courage – it’s about going out there and not taking a step back and outplaying our opposition.
“We work so hard to get where we are, but we’ve just got to get through this week in order for us to get into the [final].
“Counties have got a great team, mobile, very skilled. They’ve got a great coach that’s experienced as well … no doubt they’ll be trying to put pressure on us in the middles.
“We just need to capitalise on errors and opportunities, we can’t take a step back and we have to play our brand of footy. If we do that we’ll put some points on the board and control the game and the result.
“Every game’s been a semi-final for us. The top two go through and we are just concentrating on this week, obviously it’s one we really need to win to put us in a good spot on the ladder – but we’ve got to do those one-percenters.”
The Trillo Metals Women’s Canterbury Bulls’ chances against the Stingrays have been given a major boost courtesy of the availability of cross-code star Lynch-Brown.
A dual CRL Bartercard Women’s Premiership grand final player of the match for Sydenham Swans in the halves, Lynch-Brown has been a revelation at fullback linking with wily ball-players Poko, Siataga and hooker Caitlin Sears.
“[Kyla] wants to build something special and leave a legacy for our youth that’s coming through the grades,” Purcell-Mika asserts.
“And I think this is what all these experienced girls want to do. They want to stop the Auckland girls winning it again … but also build opportunities and pathways for our young girls that are coming through.”
